Erskineville Kings (1999) - full transcript

Barky, a lost soul of 25, returns from the Australian cane fields to his hometown, inner-city Erskineville. Barky left two years ago to escape his drunken and abusive father, leaving behind everything in the world that was important to him. His brother Wace. His girlfriend Lanny. His life. Now that his father's dead, he thinks it's safe to come home, but Barky soon discovers that if staying home was hard, coming home is harder. Wace is bitter. Barky ran away just like their mother. Wace toughed it out. Alone he stood by his dying father. After two years and no explanation, can Lanny take Barky back? With everything on the line will Barky choose again to leave it all behind? In the King's Hotel the two brothers try to make sense out of life after their father's death. Beer, anger and pain prove to be a dangerous mix.

Automatic answering: Your call could not be connected.

Please check the number and try again.

Your call could not be connected.

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Hey, um... I'm trying to get to... uh, Erskineville.

Didn't this line used to leave from... um, platform... uh, platform one?

- One or two.
- Excuse me?

Catch it from platform one or two through Central.

Right, so I can... uh, catch it from either of those two?

One or two.

OK... um, it's just that the maps don't tell you...



uh, where... where you should be going.

Do I have to wait like... uh, 15 (minutes) or so?...

...OK, thank you.

- Hey.
- I'll be with you in a second...

Huh! Holy shit! When did you get in?

Just got in then.

- Look at you!
- Yeah, well look at you!

- How are you?
- Good, yeah.

- Cool
- How are you?
- Ah, good, really good.

- Yeah, I thought you'd still be here eh?
- Oh, I manage it now.

Yeah, the old couple don't give a shit too much.

Yeah, well you get a bit more freedom.

Ah, yeah, it's something eh?

So, do you wanna go grab some breakfast or something?



Yeah, let's go.

- So did you kill any buffalo while you were away?
- No, I didn't.

Crocodiles as well need to be culled. See any?

- No, I didn't get that far north.
- So where'd you go?

North just not that far. Found a small town
and stayed there for a while.

Moved around a bit.

Chips.

Freddie fucking friendly!

Where's the tomato-sauce?

Hey, can I have some sauce?

What you have been doing?

- Still seeing Rachel?
- Ah, no...

no we stopped seeing each other.

Mm... You know how she was doing that

- amateur theatre stuff?
- Yeah

Yeah, well she went off with the guy who was doing that with her or something.

- She thought I didn't know about it.
- Why would she do that?

Dunno. Yeah, she tried to cover it up and everything.

- So what about you? Are you gonna try and see Lanny?
- I don't know.

How long has it is been since you've seen her?

- Almost too long ago.
- Yeah.

Fuck!

Now I'm losing hair?!

Fuck, where's the tomato sauce?

This is ridiculous! I've waited long enough I'm going
to have to get it myself. This is going fucking cold.

Just get that bottle.

So what... are you staying with your brother now or...?

Nah, he doesn't know I'm here yet.

They kind of didn't know where I was for a while.

- Stay with me then, yeah?
- Yeah!

- Anyway, are you still in the same place?
- Yeah...

but you wouldn't recognise it Bud.

Shit those things stick in your guts.

Hey stand still. Let me look at you.

Not much to look at huh?

So, uh, the... the funeral's tomorrow?

Yeah. You don't have to come if you don't wanna.

No... no, I'll come.

Yeah, whatever. It's 10:40

- Do you uh, still see much of your family?
- No, just my uncle.

He's a good story-telling bullshit artist.

Ah, you know what families are like.

Yeah.

Hey, what about a key?!

Uh... this is a spare. You can keep this one.

OK, thanks.

- The kid's back
- Yeah, just for a minute.

- You know where you're going?
- Yeah.
- Ah... I'll see you in a while.

What the fuck are you doing?

You're fucking useless!

What did I tell you to do? Hmmm?
What did I tell you to do?

- Echo: You fucking useless piece of shit!
- What did I tell you to do?

Do as you're fucking told! Do as you're told!

Do as you're fucking told you little shit!!!
Echo: Shithead, do as you are told!

Do as you are fucking well told!!!

So, you, stay there!! And you, out!!

I said fucking out!! Fuck!!!!

I said get up!!!
Get the fuck up!!!!!!

TV show: The thing is... you get these guys who've been played with their whole lives

and they, they... they can't deal with reality.

There's our suspect now. Put the gun down and
don't go for any bullets. I've got it...

- Hey.
- Hey.

Fuck that!

The little shit that works the afternoon shift...

he turns up around 45 minutes late and he says

"Oh sorry", you know, "I forgot I was working" and I said "Yeah, you always forget so next time,

don't bother turning up you pissy little skate freak."

He's off his dial half the time with this
huge skateboard under his arm...

Do you watch many of these?

Shit yeah, they're cool!

They got like action, romance, comedy, thriller, mystery all in one...

and these fantastic musical interludes that just break the reality.

- You like your musical interludes
- Aww, its heaps better than some of that stuff we used to watch.

So what d'ya do?

Ah man, I just slept for an hour.

Refuel, rejuvenate.

The start of the end... the weekend.

Thanks.

Hey, I gotta pick some shit up off of Kane.

I called him from the shop, I told him you were here and he said we should come round.

Yeah, I'd like to see him again.

So d'ya get a hold of your brother?

No, I couldn't get through.

Oh. Did you try Jen?

- Nah.
- I heard she left him.

Oh yeah.

- You still tired?
- Yeah, I didn't sleep much on the train.

What's on?

I dunno, Superman or Superboy or something.

Ah, super pile of shit...

I can lend you a suit for tomorrow.

Y'know, it'll be a bit big but...
you know, you should wear a suit.

Yeah... yeah, I thought I'd go formal.

OK... no, put your feet down here... nuhhh...
and stay still dickhead.

Stay still dickhead!

- Keep it straight.
- Yeah, well you balance your weight.

Woooohooo! Slow down man, slow down a bit!

Oh Jesus!

I am so hot!

Police! Everybody get down on your hands and knees!

Oh no, don't shoot me Mr Policeman.

- Hey.
-Hey.
- Hi Wayne.

- Have you met Ruby?
- No. Hi.

- Hi.
- This is Barky.
- Hi.

- Yeah, I remember you.
- Hey...

- ...where the fuck have you been? Not here else I would have seen ya.
- I just took off for a while.

- How've you been?
- Oh, just on plateau mate.

- Another one.

- What's wrong with the TV?
- Ah, bad spooky things.

I almost had it a minute ago. They weld all the parts together
so you can?t get into 'em, you have to buy the whole thing.

It's a fucking rip-off.

- Do you guys want a smoke?
- Yeah...

- yeah, we should have brought some beers.
- Uh, a bit early!

- Ah, says the chimney woman.
- So you back here now?

- Where d'you go?
- Aww, I just had to get away from everything.

- Saw Michael on the train.
- Ah, yeah?

eah, he was gone. I'd just had a smoke as well.

I was talking to him and then he just stopped
and pointed at the ground and said

"That half a peanut looks like an old man's toenail."

And I looked at it...

and it fucking did!

- Yeah, it was gross.
- Is it okay if I get a glass of water?

Nah. Yeah, yeah. Bring... bring the jug in.

- Here's your 25 ($) from last week...
- Cool.

...and can I get another half?

Yeah, only for you.

Hey, ah... did you get the job at the...

- whatever it was?
- Oh, no, didn't want it as soon as I walked in...

uh. It was the type of newspaper that would use the heading
"Model is kidnapped". Not girl or person but model.

Like it's somehow meant to be worse that she's like - Oh my God- a model!

Kane: I got most of this stuff through Coppa. I still owe him about
200 ($) but he's pretty cool about it.

Hey, Coppa'd (would) know where your brother is.

- Are you looking for your brother?
- Yeah, yeah I don't know where he is.

- Yeah, Coppa'd (would) know. I have to go and see
him later. You should come with me.
- Yeah, cool.

Lanny and I hung out together.

- Yeah I know.
- Yeah, but you don't remember me do you?

Yeah, yeah you were always smoking near the old theatre.

Yeah, near the exit stairs. We hung out there all the time. Lanny lives here.

Yeah, well you know, I'd like to see her some time.

- Yeah, she'd probably like to see you.
- Yeah, well you should come round when she's home.

She is home. She's in her room.

Yeah, go and say "Hi" then we'll go.

Yeah, we got plenty of time.

Kane: Pass me the jug.

Oh, uh, oh... I want to show you this...
I want to show you this picture.

Natasha: Kane, where's the magazine?

Kane: Dunno...

Kane: Ah, I threw it out.

Natasha: Oh Kane! You didn't!?

- Yeah.
- Um...

What? Come in.

- Hi.
- Hi.

Hi... oh, you're busy I can come back.

No... I'm not busy.

God!

Come in... no, I'm... I'm just stuffing around finishing a few drawings.

Yeah, yeah I can see.

Come in.

- When did you get in?
- Ah... this morning.

How d'you know I was here?

I didn't.

- Well, you look different.
- Yeah, yeah.

You look different.

So we both look different

Yeah.

- Well it's really good to see ya.
- It's good to see you.

I think we saw each other last at the party at the ah...
at the sport place,

and you had that purple-bluish hat on.

Well that was a couple of years ago.

- Well, I like your room.
- Oh, it's messy now.

S... sit down

Oh, eh... you've got glasses now.

Yeah, I think it's... it's just cause of these things...

cause of the... the light.

I'm upgrading in a month or so,

so they'll be 4 inches thick next time you see me.

So what's the comic about?

Oh, I don't want to tell that story again.
I've told so many people over and over.

You'd just find it...

- We don't even...
- That's okay.

It'll just sound insincere if I have to rattle off what it is.

- I don't even now about it any more.
- Well, when you don't feel so funny talking about it.

You've been away a while haven't you?

- Yeah.
- A bit longer than what you said?

Yeah. Yeah, a bit longer than I thought.

- Did you come back for the funeral?
- Yeah.

I've got a jacket that might fit you. I don't wear it, it's too big.

I like to sit up here.

Hey I was going through my stuff and I found this...

...letter that you wrote to me when we were little.

- Do you remember?
- Aww, yeah! Aww, it's all coming back to me.

No! Don't be like that. It was sweet.

- You said...
- Oh no don't... don't repeat it now.
- No, I want to.

- No, don't!
- You said

"Don't let those guys tease you,

cause you're beautiful and your teeth

are very straight".

- Woooo... what does that mean?
- Well I was getting this tooth removed.

It was sticking out the side like...

you know like that.

That was a good letter.

Yeah, you spelled beautiful wrong... you left the "U" out.

Why, does beautiful have "you" in it?

Oh, shut up.

Did you uh... did you get the letter before I left?

Umm... yeah.

- That was a different kind of letter.
- Yeah, but uh...

was it a good letter?

Hey Bark, let's go.

Let's go. Hi...

um, Kane's ready when you're ready.

I've gotta try and find my brother.

He's probably at Coppa's place.

Do you wanna meet later somewhere?

Oh, ah... I gotta work at 3.00pm.

Okay, well, um....do you wanna meet after?

- Yeah.
- Yeah, okay. Um,

well... where do you wanna meet? Where do you wanna go?

Ah, just... pick me up at work.

Okay.

Um... where's that?

Oh! Uh...

uh, we can meet here.

It's on this side, number

162. It's a book store.

Okay.

What the fuck's that?

Yeah, I have to drop it off to her tomorrow. It's for her course or something.

Door's open.

So you reckon your brother's gonna be at Coppa's house?

- I'm not sure.
- Hey, remember Barry?

- Yeah.
- He died eh.

- Really?
- Yeah. He took off from this party.

Hit this big tow-truck outside someone's house.

Lost control of his car... it went up onto the kerb and slammed into it.
- Wayne: Shut up!

It kind of flipped it. He hit his head on the roof apparently...

- Wayne: Shut the fuck up!
- ...broke his neck.
- Was anyone in the car with him?

Oh, just some girl. She didn?t die but she broke a couple of ribs

Saw her at the funeral.
- Wayne: Shut the fuck up!

What?
- Wayne: Barky's Dad!

Oh, right. Shit.

Sorry.

Sorry about your Dad.

Hey... hey, do you know why guy mannequins don't have a dick and balls?

- I don?t know.
- It's cause they don't know whether to give
it a circumcised dick or a normal dick.

- A circumcised dick is normal.
- No,

it's not normal! It's not natural to have the end of your dick cut off.

- What, you're not circumcised?
- Nah.

- I didn?t know you weren't circumcised.
- Yeah, well it's not something I make a point of telling people.

It's no big deal... I just, you know... I don?t start conversations

with people by telling them I'm not circumcised.

You should put some underwear on her.

I'm not saying like sexy... you know, sexy lingerie.

It should be just like normal underwear. That's what I like.

- What kind of underwear you got on Kane?
- What?

What kind of underwear you got on?
I'm interested in what kind of advertising you respond to.

- Boxer shorts.
- Boxer shorts.

Boxer shorts? Well I don't agree with all those

jock-strap things but if you're gonna wear underwear you should definitely wear underwear

that's gonna support you.

What about you? What kind of underwear you got on?

- Y-fronts.
- Yeah? Well, Y-fronts they're interesting cause they're like the modern day jock yeah?

Like, you've got the option to whip it out the gap.

You know personally I don't see that as an advantage cause I can't, you know...

train myself to use a gap. Because ever since
I was a kid I used to like, pull the whole of the underwear down...

cause you're conditioned to do the stuff as a boy you do all your life.

So how come you haven't see your brother yet?

Oh... shit!

Sorry.

Knock again.

Shit!

- What the fuck?!
- Hey Trunny.

Look who it is eh?!!

Fucking hell!! Look at you! Jesus, where you been?

- Hey Trunny.
- Hey man.
- I see you brought your stupid friends with you.

- We came to see Coppa.
- Yeah, he's looking for you. He's gonna kick the shit out of you!
Hey, your brother's here!

- Yeah?
- Yeah, well he's living here now. Where else would he be? Come on!

Hey! Look what I found on the doorstep! I found a lost animal.

Wace, your brother's here!

- So what are you doing now Trunny?
Oh, I'm working on the roads. Have been for about a year.

- So, you're not doing anything.
It's fucking good money!!

- I spend it all on piss bud.
- Yeah, but what do you do?

Aww, anything, fucking anything. It's piss easy.

- A bit depressing working with all them war vets (veterans) bud.

- Well, at least you're learning
- You shut your fucking mouth video boy.

- Well, well.
- Hey, Coppa.

- Hey, good to see you.
- Yeah, great hairstyle.

What's with the haircut?

Yeah, what... are you going to a blind school to get your hair done?

- Trunny still goes to get his dates.
- You suck my dick Jabba.

- Hey Coppa.
- Hey.

- I'm getting that money to you Friday.
- Friday?

- Yeah.
- Okay, whatever.

- Yeah, Friday.
- Okay.

Where the fuck is Wace?

- Sit down. Do you want a beer or something?
- Nah, thanks.

- Do you's want a beer?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Nah, it's okay.

Hey Wace! Wace!

- You wanna stay here?
- Uh, no... I'm staying at Wayne's for a day or so.

Okay. Then you come here.

- Yeah.
- Trunny: Hey Wace, your brother's here!

- Hey Trunny.
- What?
- Bring us some lemon and water.

- I'm not your fucking tea lady!
- Put it in a jug, bring some glasses.

Wace!

- How do you like the renovations?
- Yeah.

We're bashing a wall out of the first bedroom as well, have an en-suite bathroom.

Hey Wace. Look what I found on the doorstep, fleas and all.

- Hey.
- Hey.
- When d'you get in?

Ah, I got in early this morning.

It took you this long to find us, you tracked us down like a fucking detective, you Private Dick.

No, we just followed the trucks carrying the kegs.

Are you still here?

- I haven't finished my beer yet.
- Well fucking hurry up then.

- I'm gonna go.
- Yeah, I'll come.

- I'll see you back at your joint?
- Yeah, see you.

Friday then. See you Wace.

Hey, close the door. The fucking flies are pissing me off

Are you staying at Wayne's?

Yeah

- Is you still working?
- Yeah.

- So, you 're alright then?
- I'm alright, yeah.

So, Huckleberry. Pick some nice fruit in the forest?

Ehh... Huckleberry. Classic!

That's real funny. You guys should get out more.

- What for?
- At least you're here.

Very fucking least. What are ya... hell, are you eating,
gourmet salad shit and whatever you find on the forest floor?

How d' ya get here?

Oh, I came on a train. I couldn't get the money together to fly.

It's a pretty fucking slow train!

- Coppa: You came back to a drought.
- Yeah, it's pretty dry.

It hasn't rained in about 3 weeks or so. Everything's dead.

- We should get a drink.
- Yeah, it's fucking tropical today.

- Yep, are you coming with us?
- Yeah.

- Yeah, change your shirt though. You fucking stink!
- That's you Trunny.

Yeah, sorry Trunny, it's you.

- Are you trying to pick a fight with me?
- Nah.

I think that's why he came here.

- I think you do want to pick a fight with me.
- No, I don't.

- Did you hear it Wace?
- Wace: Yep.
- Coppa: Well, everyone heard it.

- Okay, you want a fight. Go on, free punch.
- No, fuck off Trunny.

- Oh, he's deliberately breaking now.
- Coppa: I heard him call you a bastard Trunny.

- I did not!!
- Did he? Did you hear him call me a bastard Wace?
- I think I did.

He's looking real hostile now.

- Down!
- Down like a sack of shit.

Stay down!

- Fucking floors him.
- Coppa: Smashed him.

Winner! Ain't what you used to be D'Artagnan.
Ain't what you used to be.

I think I deserve a beer.

I'm gonna take that fucking alternator to Nick's.

- Trunny: Did you catch a taxi from the station?
- No, I walked.

It?s about 16 bucks from the airport here.

- Yeah, but I didn?t catch a taxi.
- Once it was 13 bucks from the city.

I couldn?t fucking believe it! You know, it never cost that much.

The guy must have just kept driving around and around, saving up for Bali.

- What the fuck are you talking about?
- Oh, I had this taxi driver once

and he?s fumbling around in his pockets pretending he doesn?t have any change,

trying to find some money, hoping I?m so out of it I?ll just forget about it.

Well I looked at him...

and I said... Listen mate.

I?m gonna smack your fucking head in if you don?t give me my
exact change pretty fucking soon fuck face!

Jee(z) Trunny, what happened next?

- Well I kicked his fucking teeth in.
- Oh, here we go.

Right. So you?re sitting in the taxi next to this guy,

but it was possible for you raise your legs up to the level of this guy?s head

where you actually proceeded to kick this man?s teeth back in his skull?

- Yes.
- OK, I?m getting the picture.

- And I ripped out his portable radio...
- Do we have to listen to this?

...and I stuck it up his ass and I pummelled his fucking head!

- This is the only way he can go on holiday.
- So there?s blood pissing all over the cab...

and I says to him... Mate, don?t worry about the change.

Spend that on cleaning up your car shithead... -

Jeez, you talk a load of shit.

Coppa: Hey Nick, where are ya?

It?s good you got back for the funeral.

It?s real good.

Things go the way they go you know...

Wace is just...

- well, don?t worry about what you can?t help.
- Yeah, I know what he?s like Trunny.

Fuck I need a piss...

Hey, you see that bridge?

- Yeah
- A guy a know fell off that once.

Well that?s the thing. How do you fall off a bridge like that?

He was a weird guy too... he used to write poems.

He showed me some once. I didn?t get it.

This poem about these uh,

these two green bears or something.

I was pissed when I read it and I said to him
why are you writing a poem about green bears?

Bears are brown or black.

And he says... Well green bears exist.

They?re just a bit harder to see.

Yeah it was this story about these two green bears
who walk around a green forest trying to find each other

but because they?re both green they couldn?t.

I kind of got what it meant.

- He just thought differently I guess.
- Yeah, a lot of people do Trunny.

I guess they do.

We have to wait for a while.

Nick hasn?t got an alternator so he?s going up
to Beaumonts to see if he?s got one.

- Oh yeah? Hey, do you remember Bonny Cass?
- What?

- Bonny Cass. Works up at Beaumonts in the office...
- Who?

Bonny Cass! We went to school with her.

She slapped you in the face ?cause you called her a cow.

I didn?t call her a cow. I was explaining to Wace
that the way she moved resembled a cow.

I watched this porno once where this chick fucks this bull!

- Jesus!
- What!
- Yeah, she fucking fucks this bull!

- Why do you do that?
- Do what?

Do that. Change everything around so everything disgusting? I?m not talking about fucking her.

I?m talking about the way this woman moved... with her big arse swaying about... it was magnificent.

- Mmmmmm!
- Do you remember that night at your place?

Her and her friend?

Yeah, and your Dad even caught us.

Didn?t know what he was gonna do, smuggling these girls into the house.

We thought he was gonna lose it.

He wasn?t too happy about it.

There?s an offer on the house. It?s a pretty good one too.

- Yeah, it?s good.
- I?m gonna take it. I don?t want it to drag on for months and months.

I just want it done and finished. Did I uh... did I tell you I was selling the house?

Dad still owed the bank a stack of money.

The uh... the furniture?s been all given away mate.

You know... best to get it on a truck and get rid of it in one hit.

- I got the table.
- Yeah, Trunny got the table.

I needed a table, but if you want it you can have it.

Nah, I got no way of taking it back with me.

There?s some stuff at my place in the garage, if you want to go through it.

- Yeah, I got a small bag... don?t know where I left it
- What was in it?

Just some stuff I couldn?t take with me.

- Oh, we know what?s in it.
- No you don?t.

Is it like a brown airline bag?

- Yeah.
- Yeah, I haven?t been through most of the stuff but I remember that.

What?s in it?

- Nothing.
- Ah, we fucking know anyway.

- Why, did you open it?
- Jeez! Waiting to find out what little fucking secrets

you?ve got stashed away in a bag doesn?t take up our weekends if you can believe that.

We cleaned up the back yard.

Had to pull up the grass ?cause it was all overgrown with weeds and shit.

Looked ugly before. You?re meant to rip up grass every 7 or 8 years anyway.

- It was a fucking mess. Looks good now though.
- Yeah, it took longer with just the three of us.

Look, I told you I couldn?t get here any faster.

Yeah, whatever, mate. You know I don?t want to be boring you
with the details of what I?ve been doing, it?s the last thing I wanna do.

I?ve just been busy organizing this little funeral,
you know, for this guy we both know.

Yeah, s..sorry about your Dad man.

He drank a bit too much... you know?

Shit!

- Oh, God, I?m so sorry. Is this your car?
- It?s my friend?s car. What?s the fuck are you doing?!

Oh, it?s just what I do to meet men, you know?

- Are you ok?
- Shit, yeah, yeah, thanks.

She?s taken out the whole side panel!

I?m sorry, I... I just... I pulled too wide and...

Anyway, I?m insured, I?ll... I?ll grab my details.

Yeah, we?ve got your rego.

It?s nothing.

What a day. What a shit of a day.

- Yeah, you?re telling us.
- Hey Trunny, it was an accident.

Sorry, I forgot to feed him this morning

It?s not much damage anyway. Just needs a light spray.

- Don?t need to go to a garage, I can do it.
- Yeah?

OK. Is Nick around?

Oh, he just took off for a little while, but he should be back soon.

I think I?ll wait in the office. Thank you.

S?alright.

You reckon you can fix that, huh?

- Yeah.
- Yep?

- Little ice-spray... cover it up?
- Yeah, a bit of fibreglass.

I don?t wanna wait around for Nick. He?ll be for fucking ever.

It?s bullshit waiting around here.

It?s easily fixed. Don?t worry about it.

- This place is a shit hole.
- Why don't you leave then?

It's my shit hole.

So hang on to what you got.

If I gave you a dart to throw

now you probably wouldn't be able to fucking hold it, let alone throw it.

Not like the old days D'Artagnon when you were a fine swordsman...

...the finest.

I better throw this one pelican shit. We don't want anyone getting hurt now do we?

So what d'you do while you were gone? Got a job?

Yeah, got a few. I worked on a cane farm.

Yeah? A cane farm would have been hard work.

Yeah, it was. Nearly broke my finger too, I helped this guy with some wood,

chucked it on the back of a truck and my finger got mashed underneath.

Oooh, war wounds of a warrier.

Yeah, I know how to build fences now too.

Yeah? And when are you gonna need to do that?

Dunno, just did it.

I wasn't there when they burnt the cane either.

You're real temporary aren't ya?

No, I'm just not gonna grab the first thing that comes along 'cause it's the first thing.

Yeah, you reckon that's your choice? You don't give yourself a choice. Who told you that?

- No-one.
- Well I don't care what you do, just do something.

Dad worked fucking hard to get what he got.

I've been working. On the fields was the first time I really liked what I was doing.

And I know Dad worked hard, it's the only thing he ever did.

What do you mean?

Well I keep thinkin' if he didn't work so hard maybe

Mum wouldn't have felt so lonely and

maybe she wouldn't have left.

So what makes you figure that?

Oh, I reckon I can remember that's all they ever talked about.

I can remember them arguing all the time and then...

one day Mum stopped arguing and went all quiet and then... one morning...

- she was gone.
- He worked his guts out... for her.

- Yeah, he worked so hard he forgot why he was working.
- He didn't make her leave.

- Then why'd she leave?
- 'cause she's a fucking loony.

What the fuck are you talkin' about he didn't pay her enough attention? He busted his arse for her.

I mean, listen to the way you're talking, it's like a fucking sob story!

Don't call her a loony. I was...

- I was just thinking about the last time I saw her.
- Yeah? Why?

Because I can't remember what she was wearing or what she said last.

For fucks sake! I knew you were gonna do this.

- I'm gonna go for a piss.
- What the fuck you talking about Mum for?

- Because I can't remember ever talking about it.
- That's right,

it's not worth it. Nah, I haven't seen her in fifteen years.

- That's how I like it.
- Don't you ever think about what happened?

No I don't. See, you think out loud that's your problem.

Alright? Gotta keep some of life inside, locked in.

Enough things get locked up inside ya, you start building some character.

- Character isn't walking around with your mouth shut hoping no-one will notice ya.
- Alright, alright.

You're gonna be reminded of some things here.
Don't... don't automatically assume people wanna listen to ya.

- Okay? Everyone's got their own shit.
- What, I need permission off you to open my mouth?

- Jesus! You're like a walking daytime television show.
- Yeah, and you make everything sound like a fucking courtroom drama!

You thirsty?

- Four more then.
- We have all these fucking little rules that everyone has to follow

and if people don't follow them they're the ones that have got the problem.

- Jeez, you have a talent for talking absolute bullshit.
- Yeah, well you were the only one I listened to when I was young so

I guess I owe it all to you Captain fucking Bug Up His Arse!

Captain fucking Bug Up His Arse.

See you think 'cause you got a problem with something I gotta have a problem with the same thing.

Nah... worlds passed between us. What was it Dad said?

"The only thing you and I have got in common is gravity."

So don't presume to know what's going on in my head.

You got nothin' but guilt, I'm not guilty.

I was there for Dad...

...you weren't.

I'm starting to smell that fucking toilet from here.

Some dirty bastard left a big turd floating in one of the bowls.

- What!?
- Yeah, I wasn't going anywhere near it.

Mate, why didn't you just flush the fucking thing?

Hey? Hey? Now we have to stand here and smell it 'cause you're too

fucking retarded to be rational for longer than one second, to make a decision

that a two year old could have made? That's brilliant Trunny, fucking brilliant!

Coppa: It's not his shit Wace.

Well yeah, it... it was stupid just to leave it.

Ah, fuck it, fuck it, fuck it. I don't know what I'm thinking.

Barmaid: There you go. Thanks.

And umm... I'll have a tequila.

Thanks.

I went over to this club and I saw this girl on her way back from the toilets,

looked like this old girlfriend of mine.

I nearly fucking died

Just like her from behind, same sort of hair and neck.

- It wasn't her. I just caught her outta the corner of my eye.
- Who was that?

Oh, I only went out with her for a few weeks.

- I don't remember her?
- Nah, you never met her.

I was fucking mad going out with her.

She was nice enough just... fucked up.

You ever done that? Think you've seen something and your guts just drops outta your arse?

- Yeah.
- Scared the shit out of me when I thought I saw her at the club.

'cause... hey, you remember when you were young

and you were in a shopping centre or something with your Mother and you, you... you'd stop to look at something

then you'd spin back around and keep walking along beside her or this person you think is your Mum...

- Fuck!
- ...and then you suddenly realise it's not your fucking Mum.

You've just started following this lady because she's got the same colour dress or stockings,

same sort of handbag, and you've been following this complete fucking stranger

for the last thirty seconds thinking you were in the comfort of your Mother.

- You've got blue all over you.
- Could have been a fucking lunatic,

and you didn't know the difference.

Yeah, we could never tell the difference.

- I don't remember things being like that.
- Oh shit!

Oh shit, it mustn't have happened then.

Glad you were too young to remember.

You were too young all your life.

- I was just sayin' I can't remember things being like that.
- Yeah, well I remember.

I remember our Mother ran away. That's all I care about.

I can't remember her face let alone what fucking dress she wore.

- I remember her face.
- Yeah, half our family are really good runners.

- Why don't we get a fucking pizza or something?
- Half our family?

So what... now you've divided the family into good and bad huh?

It's easy just to slice it in two, you only have to think about a half of what happened?

- OK, so why did I run?
- I have no idea.

- It's your life.
- I ran 'cause it wouldn't have made any difference if I stayed.

- You both made it clear you didn't want me around.
- Oh, bullshit!

- I don't remember this bit.
- You left.
- Yeah, I did.

Ah, here we go.

You know, he smacked you a few times in his temper,

a little smack across the ear to keep you in line, everyone gets that.

And a couple of times he got carried away. So what?

- Yeah, everyone gets that.
- Yeah, and you were a little bastard, he had to settle you down somehow.

It's the normal thing. Welcome to the human race.

Yep, and you're no different.

Write a fucking book about it or something, just don't come whingeing to me.

Yeah, I think I learned that lesson a long time ago.

Good.

You know he didn't try and stop me from leaving and he could have you know.

I mean you can stop your son from doing things.

I couldn't do anything right.

He punched me for breathing too heavy.

- He hit me for burning a steak once.
- You burnt the steak 'cause you were fucking around in your room.

- I didn't know what he wanted.
- He'd been working all day!

You couldn't find ten minutes out of your precious fucking time to cook him some dinner!?

Why didn't he talk to me like he talked to you?

He never said anything after Mum left.

You know he never told us anything.

Half this shit you're making up in your head anyway.

Yeah, well I had to.

No, you chose to.

And what did you choose?

Your break.

No, I don't wanna... I don't wanna play this game anymore.

Oh fuck. Me and you Coppa.

No, I don't wanna play this game anymore.

What kind of smart arse shit is that?

See, you've been beating yourself up all these years, for what?

You trying to work out why you weren't more important to him?

His wife was more important to him, she left him.

You know when she left him,
she left some responsibilities with us.

Now the reason you can't work it out is 'cause you're just like her.

No, you both don't know what it means all this shit that happened the last six, seven weeks with dad having a stroke.

That's something she should have been here for.

She left her fucking children,

like some fucking half baked cheesecake sittin' on a kitchen table, now how cool is that?

How ice fucking cool?

You know why I admire it?

I... I have to, 'cause I have no other emotion left to describe what it means to me.

Admire. Yeah, admire.

- Well, I don't wanna cut her out of my life.
- She cut us out... we didn't get a fucking choice.

Don't you have anything else for her?

Don't you feel anything for her?

No.

Well I think she left 'cause she wanted to get her life back.

Yeah, and what do we get hmmm? I mean what... what do we get? A postcard!

F..four years, what was it, four, five, six years fucking years after she left.

"Somewhere in Europe - Dear boys, hope all is well - somewhere in Europe".

Now, now... what is that!?

- You know it was more then that.
- No it's nothing,

it's... it's fuck all.

Fuck all... fuck, fuck all.

- Do you think she'd still be there?
- Oh man, I don't give a flying fuck.

- Fuck you're a retard.
- Coppa: Hey Wace, this doesn't have to happen.

You tryin' to stop somethin' Coppa, 'cause you don't like it?

Yeah, I don't like certain things happening, it's not me that has the power to stop it.

- Yeah, I know man. You don't have to tell me.
- Yeah, I know.

- I'm tellin' him.
- I don't need to be told what to do.

Oh, I'm not telling you what to do.

- You gotta work it out yourself.
- Nothing needs to be worked out.

- Trunny: Just play the fucking game man.
- I'm not like her.

- You're exactly like her.
- You're both pains in the arse.

- Why don't you just leave it at that!?
- It's not gonna help either of you goin' round in circles like this.

- It's too fucking hot!
- Wace: You're never gonna know what I'm talking about, will you?

- He's not your punching bag Wace.
- Oh, what's that supposed to mean?

Nothing gets through to him, I can say whatever I like, it just won't get through.

You know when Dad's in intensive care and I'm comin' home from the hospital,

I had people ringing me up you know...

and Jenn's chatting on the phone the way she did and I'd be going out of my fucking mind thinking

what to do and what to say 'cause people are always talking yak fucking yak!!

Oh, and Jenn you know, she's got this little dish of wisdom cookies on her lap ready for all occasions.

Losing a father? Snap! Out it comes. Voila, problem solved.

You beauty we've talked about it. Great!
Let's go to the movies, watch all those pretty fucking colours!

She was just tryin' to help man.

It doesn't help.

It doesn't help.

I don't have the energy left to help people help me.

Better off on my own anyway.

No, fuck off, come on man stay a while.

You coming back?

Or am I just gonna get a postcard?

Hey, Lanny.

- I've gotta work another two hours.
- Oh... yeah?

This guy just doesn't give a shit.

He wants me to shift all those books
to that shelf and sort them at the same time.

I can't handle people telling me what to do all the time.

- Where have you been?
- Just tryin' to get a part for the car.

- Have you been drinking?
- Yes.

- Did you bring any for me?
- No, you're working. You shouldn't drink on the job.

God I need it.

- I'm sorry I sound so pissed off.
- That's okay.

- This place is huge.
- Yeah, at night after you lock up it's just...

spooky, its just eerie.
I... I gotta look like I'm busy.

- Okay. Excuse me nice young lady can you tell me where a book is please?
- No don't!

Shush! He doesn't laugh.

He doesn't find anything funny.

- I'll kill him.
- No.

Not until he pays me for the week.

- Well maybe we can meet after you finish?
- Yeah?

I was meant to go to this party tonight for this girl but...

- I don't know her so... I can give it a miss so we can do something. Yeah.
- Yeah?

Okay, well... let's meet at that old cafe joint.

What old cafe joint?

It's down near the... the... oh

I'll show you.

- No, you can't draw on it!
- I'm gonna buy it.

- It doesn't matter if you buy it!
- I'll just do it on the blank bit.

It's... it's the same whether it's the blank bit or not.

It's part of the whole thing... the whole...

design.

- You see this road here?
- Mmmmmmm.

- Well it's nowhere near that.
- Shut up.

Um... Okay, so you go...

down here...

and it's on this street.

- Yeah?
- Yep.

Um... if... if you don't wanna meet up tonight then...

that's... I understand.

Ah yeah, it's just that I haven't seen you for so long
it'd be good to spend some time with you you know.

Yeah. Did you find your brother?

Yeah, I just saw him then.

- And how is he?
- Oh, he's okay.

Ah, he just wants me to think that he hates me that's all.

I mean, I'm the only one he's got left so I don't know why he says the things he says.

- Well, ask him.
- No, it's not that simple.

Yeah, it's that simple, you just ask him.
If you don't you won't ever know.

And if you can't talk to your brother how are you gonna talk to me?

- What do ya mean?
- Well...

what's the difference between...

you and him? He can't talk to you...

and you can't talk to me.

- What are you saying that for?
- No, just answer me.

Nah, it's stupid. I'm not answering you.

Oh look, this is...

What?

I don't know. It's just that...
you come back here and you pretend like we have

nothing to talk about.

- Why? You found me accidentally, you didn't know I lived there.

- No I didn't.
- So, would you have tried to find me?

What do you want me to do?

I know it's a bad time for you...

but it could be a bad time for me too.

Okay.

Well...

Are you gonna be there?

- Hey.
- Hey.

Where's Wace?

Downstairs.

I keep this moving fast, 'cause of the probability of winning.

What about the probability of loosing?

Huh, yeah. Go on, you have a go...

yeah, it's good... loose the Queen...

keep the high numbers they're luckier.

- So, do you wanna come down?
- Nah, it's too hot.

Can't see the point.

- Hey.
- Hey.
- Hey.

- Huh, it's hot in here.
- Yeah, they need air-conditioning.

Why is that window nailed shut?

So the world doesn't know we're here...

Just need to get another alternator and Dad's car is on the road again.

- Is the alternator from Dad's car?
- Yeah.

- Oh, I didn't know that.
- Yeah, well it's on the fucking road again, but it's falling apart.

It needs heaps of work on the body. You can have it, if you want.

Yeah?

Yeah, I can work on it...

- Thanks.
- Yeah, he'd always leave all his shit in the back to stink up the car.

Mum'd (would) just go off at him you know, we'd be driving down...

Mum with a purple scarf wrapped around her head,

yelling at us all the time 'cause we had the windows down too far...

Fu(ck), why do women worry about their hair when they're going fishing?

Most women don't go fishing.
They only go along for the ride.

Yeah. I don't remember much of when we were young but
fuck, I remember that car.

This one time and Mum didn't come with us

and Dad had so much shit packed in the back, he couldn't even see out of the window...

And we always stopped at that same fucking petrol station.

Yeah, I remember once when...

when Dad was putting petrol in the car

and his hands were filthy with grease and dirt

from changing a tyre in the morning...

and, uh... I was(n't) leaning out the window...

and I remember... I remember all the fumes of the petrol rising between us...

and...

Dad's face looked really weird,

and I started laughing,

and he turned around and saw me

and smacked me straight across the ear.

Told me not to lean on the window so hard.

Burner!

Smack across the ear it was.

I never understood why he did that?

He didn't want to be cremated. He told me that.

When he did you tell that?

Umm, in the hospital,

soon after he went in.

I used to sit on this tiny plastic chair, my arse was so numb.

I just kept saying to myself... "just stay a little bit longer, just stay a little bit longer"

and once I fucking started I just couldn't stop.

I just wanted someone to be there, you know, if he woke up.

When did you start talking to him?

I just couldn't stop staring at his arms.

He had all these... all these

scars and these cuts and bruises and...

tubes were coming out of his nose,
his eyes were rolling back in his head and...

What did you talk about?

Once they stopped... pumping all the fucking drugs into him

and he started to get a clear head and...

ah, fuck it...

you know I haven't slept in about 3 weeks?

I'm just too tired for this shit...

I just didn't get the space I needed.

Unlike others who seem to be able to do anything they fucking well please.

You know, you're just moving from shit to shit?

Stink don't change from each pile if that's what you're thinking?

I organized that funeral, 'cause that's the kind of thing I'm fucking good at...

and I don't wake up in the morning and look in the mirror

and contemplate the enormity of the universe and my feeble existence in comparison,

I just lead a normal life and that?s how I want it.

Oh God man. Don't you see?

I do things differently to what you and Dad did.

So what would've happened, if I wasn't here?

What if I was uh...

roaming the country, fucking around on a farm, having a big fucking hoo-hah time

pissing around with cane sugar?

Dad'd (would) probably be stuck out on that fucking machine
with half a corner of plastic fucking tubing stuck up his nose,

'cause if things were left up to you they just wouldn't get done would they?

What do you mean?

What?

- When you said that...
- Your shot Wace.

What... what did you say?

- Is that what you said?
- When?

- I can't fucking remember what I said.
- I'll give you some money man, you get us the beers.

- I can't go back up those stairs.
- That doesn't make any sense.

- It's too fucking hot for this shit!
- Nothing makes sense to you.

- Everything goes over your head.
- Well, what do you mean?

If things will left up to me they wouldn't get done.

- It doesn't...
- What are you talking about? Don't you fucking talking to me like that you fucking little turd!

I can smell him on me!

Right... he's on my clothes. I'm sitting there in that hospital next to his fucking bed,

for fucking days, now if you don't know what's going on it's 'cause you weren't there,
now you live with that decision!

- I'll live with the decisions I have to make...
- Coppa: Wace!
- You know it could have been you...

- Wace!
- ...but when he woke up I was the one he saw.

- I was there... at his side, at his bed... not you.

Wace, it doesn't matter now. It's all over man.

Don't you fucking judge me. You righteous little shit!

Wace, you're not thinking straight. We don't know what you went through.

Yeah, you're damned right.

I know I'm on my fucking own around here.

- I'm not judging you!
- So what are you accusing me of?
- Nothing, why!?

- What's going on?
- It's nothing man. He's just been through some heavy shit, you know?

- He doesn't know. Look at his face, he hasn't got a clue.
- Tell me what's going on!

Leave it alone Wace!

Aah, you're just guilty, 'cause you were there as well, now you've got just as much to hide.

Yeah, I was sitting in the car waiting for you man.

Yeah, exactly... you drive me there, makes you an accomplice.

- And because you haven't gone to the police yet that also makes you aiding and abetting...
- What!?

- Yeah...
- What are you talking about!?

What are you talking about!?

You see how someone like you just breaks things up into tiny little pieces...

Eh? You see how someone like you just fucking naturally comes in and turns all the members of a group against each other!

Go on, look at yourself. Look in there fuckhead! Angry with your mother now!?

- Wace!
- Eh? You take and take and take. Dad must have seen it in you when you were born!

Holy fuck! Are you OK man?

- Why don't you run away again eh?
- Just let it rest!

- Don't you tell me what to do! You were there as well man!
- I know!

- Wace!
- What the fuck did you do!?

Just tell him Wace...

- Wace, just tell him!
- Nah, I'm a little hesitant because this is a family matter

and I don't know where you fit in? Eh?

Did you have a good look in the reflection? Did you notice anything strange?

I don't know maybe it's my curious fucking mind trying to work out why he hit you all the time...

because he really fucking hated you! Did you have a good look in there!?

- You look exactly like her!!
- Wace, you fuckhead!!

Tell him the whole story, man!

He's never going to get the whole story stupid, that's the point. He's not in the fucking story!

- He's gotta know.
- Shut up!

Eh, are you putting the pieces together?... Oh, are you putting that little jigsaw together

little tiny pieces coming at you from all over the place?

I don't owe anybody, anything.

He couldn't lift up his fucking arms, he couldn't even hold a fucking fork!

You know, there was nothing wrong with his brain.
He even fucking knew what was going on! I knew what was going on!

We both just kept on together, day after day and
he's just wasting away... all those nurses there flinging him about,

you know... and they're saying "Stand back we know what we're doing"...

I said "Well if you know what you're fucking doing why does he look like a rag doll?

Fucking hold him up!" ...oh and then he had to have someone with him,
you know, to help wipe his arse, help him piss!

He would've had to have had someone with him every fucking minute

for the rest of his fucking life, waiting around with a shit bucket and a mop!

Oh, then this one day this 1st year nurse fucking nurse comes in...

she just dumps down this tray of shit in front of Dad... this

brown shit and a cup of jelly... this

this children's lime-green shit

Just dumps it in front of him... and he's just looking at it...

and he's just humiliated...

just dumps it in front of him.

You know and I saw him... I saw his eyes.

Everything just disappeared.

I was holding his hand and he squeezed it and I

I said "Do you want to say something Dad?" he sa(id)...

he said something... I... I didn't understand what it was so I said

"Why don't you just whisper it Dad? Just whisper it"

He whispers it in my ear...

I said "No Dad...

No!... I can't do that!"

but he just looks at me...

and he says it again.

I just stood there... I... I just stood there...

and then I did it...

I just did it.

He told me to do it, so I did what I was told...

He shouldn't have hit you so hard...

he shouldn't have hit you so hard...

and now what was inside of him...

is inside me.

You're nothing like him.

Jesus, I... wish there was little more air in here.

It's fucking hot.

Let me go! Let me go!

- Hi.
- Hi.

- Oh... well this place is closed.
- Yeah, yeah.

- It looks like it's been closed for a while.
- What happened to your eye?!

Ah... I just talked to my brother.

Ah. Okay.

Can I come with you to the funeral?

Yeah, I want you to come.

So, are you going to stay here a while now?

Yeah, I'm gonna stay here for a while.

I'm gonna be here for a bit.

- Do you want to stay at my place tonight?
- Yeah, yeah. I'd really like that.